Frankenstein in Bath
Winner of Best Live performance

A powerful commitment and presence in Bath. Their performances are spellbinding and thought-provoking. And we praise their campaign for a blue plaque for Frankenstein author Mary Shelley”

Mary Shelley arrived in Bath on 10 September 1816, and wrote much of her book there that autumn and winter. It was published on 1 January 1818. FRANKENSTEIN IN BATH launched in June last year to great reviews. It starts again this year on 1 July, so if you missed it make sure you catch it before January’s 200th anniversary.

Theatre Bath: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an enthralling story, well told and meticulously researched, with many newly-discovered facts… …You will be entertained, enlightened and horrified in equal measure. Fascinating. Read the full review »

Bath Newseum:

Tragedy and triumph, romance and despair are all woven into a street performance that was both informative and – please forgive the pun – even shocking in its revelations. Read the full review »

“…Remarkable …brought science, technology & art together in a unique way.”-Tony Watkins, Sub Dean, Faculty of Technology, University of Plymouth

“…Virtuosic …vivid portrait of a forgotten Bristolian who played an important part in the Brunel story…”-Helen Reid, Bristol Evening Post

“…Beautifully constructed, an engaging balance of informative and entertaining… turns a mass of raw material into an enthralling entertainment with breathtaking skill.”–Shirley Brown, former Theatre Editor, Venue

The title of this all-day event, staged by Show Of Strength Theatre Company, might give visions of bearded scribblers earnestly reading out their stuff from a lectern. Wrong. The 20 pieces were, in fact, short solo playlets, each only a few minutes long, performed by seven actors in nine different spaces in the building.

To see them, you had to rush from room to room, consulting the programme to see what was on next, or what you had missed; or pause in the café to absorb what you’d seen and ask others what they’d seen; or if you so wished, see one you especially liked again. You could find yourself in a room with a mashed-up surfer telling how he got mashed-up but is still lyrical about surfing; you could be listening to the emotional dilemmas of a bullied eight-year-old at her birthday party; you could, memorably, be in the gents’ toilet at a wedding listening to a slightly tipsy guest discourse hilariously about why marriage is OK but weddings are awful.

Particularly moving was Claire Williamson’s piece about a dog with a troubled, suicidal owner. Craig Edwards’s finely-judged canine performance was just heart-stopping. But there was more, much more. This was a theatrical experience unlike any other: the talent of the performers and writers, and their breadth of imagination and range of moods, seemed to compress a whole fringe theatre festival into six hours. The intensity of the images stayed with me for days. Innovative, original, magical. Do it again please.

VENUE, April 2006

Show Of Strenth Theatre CompanyWAITING at The Southville Centre 1&2 April 2006

Audience comments/feedback

“Fantastic idea- brilliant idea!! Some great writing and fabulous acting. Please do this again- theatre needs waking up and this feels original and fresh!”

“Worth every penny and a brilliant idea.”

“Please do this again soon.”

“Stunning collection of personal insights, Well Done!”

“Fantastic, well done all of you. One little comp: no mention in the programme of which parts/plays the actors were performing. Otherwise – great! Do it again!”

“Enjoyed the performances. Would have liked to have seen work which represented the cultural diversity of Bristol though.”

“Brilliant, comedy and tragedy in one package. More please.”

“What an achievement- a brave experiment and super successful. Now I want to see the ones I missed… Southville building is perfect on this sunny Sunday.”

“What a fantastic performance! A really moving monologue which very accurately captures the all-too common experiences of waiting for a doctor in a mental health environment. Very well written.” (of All Fall Down)

“One character tells another: ‘Come in here with expectations low and you might be pleasantly surprised.’ Good advice for a critic; except that I went with expectations high and was far from disappointed.” –Michael Billington, The Guardian

Show Of Strength has produced new work in non theatre spaces for over twenty years, and created three informal, intimate and accessible new venues in Bristol – Since 2008 we have taken to the streets and shops and now perform in ‘found’ spaces in and around Bristol.